Craft breweries have exploded all over the region as connoisseurs try their hand at creating their ideal tastes while riding the rejuvenated local foods movement. According to data, craft breweries in Minnesota have increased from 19 in 2010 to over 100 in 2017. In Rochester, a city known for its foodie culture, Kinney Creek, LTS, Grand Rounds, and Forager have all put their own stamp on the craft industry. To the south, in Decorah, Toppling Goliath and Pulpit Rock Brewing have also made their mark. At the same time, Fillmore County has been vastly under represented, according to Eric Luoma of Karst Brewing in Fountain. “There were none,” he says. Now, Luoma and his wife, Sandy Seha, both originally from Chatfield, have taken some impressive steps to put their brewery on the map.
In the early 1990s, the couple says they stumbled upon craft brewing when they discovered Sherlock’s Home in Eden Prairie. “We really enjoyed their ‘Pipers Pride,’ a freshly brewed Scottish ale, as well as the other English style ales they brewed,” he says. Shortly after, he kick started his hobby by delving into home brewing.
Years later, in May of 2011, new Minnesota legislation dubbed, “Surly’s Bill,” named for Surly Brewing Company, paved the way for craft breweries to producing less than 250,000 barrels per year to serve pints of their brews on site. When the bill passed, it also opened the door for the duo to take their hobby to the next level.
“Starting a craft brewery from the ground up is not for the faint of heart!” Luoma cautions. To learn more about the process and gain some practical hands-on experience, they dove into brewing literature, online research, professional blogs and spent a great deal of time visiting and talking with other brewers. “The craft brewing community is very supportive of each other.”
Near the end of 2013, the former White Corner Café in Fountain came to their attention. Their vision for a craft brewery was beginning to take shape, so they purchased the property in January of 2014. Citing Fountain’s location along Highway 52, with its 6,500 commuter vehicles a day, they feel it has the traffic to sustain a brewery. “Tourists from the north, who are traveling to Lanesboro’s B&Bs, Preston’s camping or trout fishing, Harmony’s Amish Country, or the Decorah area, go through Fountain. Convenient access to both commuters and tourists sets Fountain apart for sure. The craft brewery tap room is something many seek out while traveling. It becomes part of a traveler’s exploration. For local residents, the tap room is a positive social environment where people can say hello and enjoy something local and fresh that they can lay claim to.”
While they acknowledge that every step in the process has been a challenge, they also point out that each building and approval milestone has been energizing. Keeping the project small and in their control has been the biggest hurdle though. “Any wise business venture requires a team and going alone is not the best option from a strictly business point of view,” stresses Luoma. “Most new breweries have a team of investors and project managers to finance and navigate all the legal and logistical intricacies. This is more than a business venture to us; it’s about the creativity and the journey, too. So, the challenge has been to keep costs down and the project manageable while maintaining a solid business plan.”
“While we have tried to build this brewery ourselves as much as possible, there is no way we could have gotten this far without a lot of help and encouragement from family, friends, and the City of Fountain. We’ve used some great local businesses too, including the Fountain Building Center, Huntington Electric, Richard’s Pump Service, Baker Concrete, Ron Riesner, Rodney Reichstadt, and others,” he adds.
Construction itself was a long process as Luoma gutted the inside of the property, then stripped the outside and dealt with foundation issues eventually jacking up one end and lowering the other. The building now boasts large windows, a concrete floor, and a clean-lined, industrial look in reflective steel siding that catches the eye of any passerby.
Licensing was also more complicated than originally anticipated, they point out. “Local approval is the first step, followed by Federal approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Both of these happened rather quickly. However, we didn’t fully understand all the State of Minnesota requirements, which took longer than anticipated to fulfill,” says Luoma. By manufacturing a product consumed by the public, the company must meet all building, food code and alcohol licensing requirements as governed by the Department of Labor and Industry, Department of Agriculture, and the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division of the Department of Public safety. These needed state approvals were finally granted to the company April 18.
“We are really excited to pour the first glass for the public!” enthuses Luoma. While licensed as a production site, the Karst Brewing can craft and serve their custom brews, but not food. “Since our space is small, we will start with two or three beers using three refrigerated serving tanks and customers will be able to have a glass onsite or purchase a 64-ounce growler to go. The first batch is in progress. When we have two good tasting beers ready, we’ll start with an unadvertised soft opening to test run our next step in the journey: Serving a perfect pint!”
“We both continue to enjoy the new, fresh, and creative flavors craft brewers supply,” he continues. “Craft beer is about flavor and creativity that people consume for quality and taste rather than quantity and intoxication. The passion consumers have for craft beer includes exploring new flavors and tasting something fresh and local.”
“We also hope to promote the ‘grow local, eat local’ ideal and, as our name implies, the wonderful gem of the area; its Karst landscape. Our goal is to offer great tasting craft-brewed beer to the residents and tourists of southeast Minnesota and to have fun doing it.”
Eric Luoma, Karst Brewing says
Thank you for the great article! Very good writing! I only wish I hadn’t forgotten Lanny Isensee of Southeast Mechanical. He and his company are to be thanked for keeping the beer cold by connecting the glycol chiller to all the fermentation and serving tanks.. I’ll have to note him later.